Jim Sheridan
Brothers

Sam (Tobey Maguire) once again sets off on a mission to Afghanistan while his younger brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal) gets out of prison. Tommy, frowned upon by Grace (Sam's wife played by the beautiful Natalie Portman) and the rest of the family, finds himself having to take care of them. Upon hearing the news of his brother's death, Tommy has to take care of the children, which leads him to develop a relationship with Grace. But in reality, his brother has survived...

It's difficult to talk about Jim Sheridan's film (the director of the beautiful "My Left Foot") without revealing too much of the plot. The story indeed has many facets and intersections that make it inevitable to tell part of the story. The Irish director masterfully shapes a film on reintegration. Through Sam’s lifeless eyes, he makes us reflect on how conflicts can destroy a man and lead him to extreme acts, often even senseless ones. Worn out more in mind than in body, the veteran, who is labeled a "hero" by his father, forces himself to see things that don't exist, crushed by internal demons that will accompany him for life. The film succeeds in the complex task of exposing public issues through private problems. Sheridan deserves credit for successfully using dramatic situations and moments of simple intimacy to ultimately shatter the "American dream" without moralizing. A family that in no way embodies the typical American one and that over time sees the situation worsening. All because someone from above decided that somewhere in the globe there's a "peace mission" to carry on...

Brothers is without a doubt a complicated film, touching on themes as interesting as they are complex. It remains the fact that the film manages to convey the right message without falling into banality as might be expected from such a proposal. Furthermore, Thomas Newman's music is particularly fitting, just as the three main protagonists deliver good performances.

Remake of the Danish film "Brødre", Brothers stands out for the anti-militaristic portrayal it provides and for the approach to personal relationships examined in their different psychological nuances. The main characters alternate in the protagonist role and become standard-bearers of a film that is an indictment against war and American society. Sheridan's work, released at the end of last year, is a welcome surprise on the global cinema scene. Finally, a film that, despite being released during the Christmas period, has managed to make a name for itself for the depth of the themes explored.